Foodwizardry

Homemade vegetable stock from kitchen scraps

◦

, , ,
A glass jug of golden homemade vegetable stock beside a bowl of vegetable trimmings in a sage-green kitchen

Eat Well for Less

Homemade vegetable stock from kitchen scraps.

A flexible, freezer-friendly stock that turns everyday vegetable trimmings into something genuinely useful.

This is less a strict formula than a habit. I keep a large container in the freezer and add useful vegetable scraps as I cook: onion and garlic ends, carrot peelings, celery leaves, mushroom stalks, leek greens and herb stems. Preparing a roast is usually the quickest way to build a good mixture.

Ingredients.

  • Enough frozen vegetable scraps to fill roughly half to two-thirds of a large saucepan
  • 2–3 litres cold water, or enough to cover
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 5–6 juniper berries, optional
  • 1 whole star anise, optional, for a more Asian-inspired stock
  • A few thyme or rosemary sprigs, optional
  • Salt, added sparingly at the end

Method.

  1. Transfer the frozen scraps to a large saucepan. Discard anything spoiled, slimy or strongly bitter.
  2. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, optional juniper and herbs to the dry pan. Toast gently for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant, then add the vegetable scraps and cover with cold water. If you want a more Asian-inspired stock, add one whole star anise at this stage.
  3. Bring just to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 45 minutes. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the stock cloudy and harsh.
  4. Strain through a fine sieve. For a clearer stock, line the sieve with clean muslin and strain once more.
  5. Taste before adding salt. Keep it lightly seasoned so it remains flexible in other recipes.
  6. Cool promptly, portion and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.

Catherine’s tip

Use mostly mild, savoury scraps. Onion skins add colour, but too many brassica trimmings, potato peelings or bitter greens can dominate. Toasting the whole spices before adding the water gives the stock another layer of flavour; a single star anise is often just the trick when you want to take it in a more Asian direction. Freeze the finished stock in several sizes so you can take out exactly what a gravy, soup or stew needs.